VDA Testimony to SD House Judiciary Committee Hearing on Feb 24 in Opposition to HB 1267

On February 24, I testified before the SD House Judiciary Committee in Pierre and delivered the following statement in opposition to HB 1267:

“Good morning, Mr. Chairman and members of the Committee.

My name is Zebadiah Johnson from Sioux Falls, SD. I’m here on behalf of the Voter Defense Association of South Dakota.

Our mission at the VDA is to defend the ballot initiative rights of South Dakota voters and ensure that laws and regulations governing electoral processes in South Dakota are reasonable, fair, and transparent.

My testimony will be relatively short for you today. It will be this main point: if adopted, HB 1267 WILL lead to litigation against the state. If the state ends up losing [that lawsuit], even at the Supreme Court, taxpayers will be on the hook for those costs.

We’ve done this several times with bills attempting to enact restrictions on the petition circulating process. I mean you have 2019’s SD Voice v. Noem, 2022’s Dakotans for Health v. Noem, and then 2023’s SD Voice v. Noem.

I ask that you oppose this bill and prevent the lawsuits that will certainly come if this bill is passed. Thank you for your time today.”

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